Thursday, March 3, 2011

For The Ladies Round Up

So...how does a bunch of car building casanovas impress the pretty ladies in our lives? Well, it turns out we dedicate a whole build challenge just for them. In this month's attempt to make good with the estrogen set we've built girly cars, cars with chick names or vehicles proposed by our wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters and best female friends. Did we earn heartfelt kisses and adoration from our ladies or restraining orders for the whole lot of us? lets see how we did, shall we?

Zenn proves right off the bat that cars built for girls isn't always about pink hearts and flowers. His Rockabilly girlfriend wanted a devilish looking hot rod so Mr. Zenn delivers the goods with this chopped little dirty devil aptly named El Diablo. Man, check out that cow skull up front! I'm still drooling over all the little details! Seems like Zenn's lady friend is one awesome chick!

El Diablo Hot Rod

Later Zenn tells us El Diablo needed a companion so he whipped up this rough and tumble little yellow rod named Daisy Cutter. This slammed little beauty was inspired by Ol' Skool Rodz magazine. As I'm familiar with thumbing through the mag's retro/ rockabilly style I can say its the absolute best magazine where everything in the title is spelled wrong.

Daisy Cutter Hot Rod

Some women are big, square and bossy...as evidenced by this 2004 Chevy Avalanche Off-Roader built by Sangi13. Her name is Matilda. With a name like that, you can expect glaring headlights, a snarling grille, fat balloony tires and a cold, impenetrable exterior. Sounds like someone I've once dated!

2004 Chevy Avalanche offroader

Later in the challenge, Sangi comes back with the equally red 2011 Sangerati PUG. He tells us this made up car is a great chick truck...good for strolling the back roads and not so much for hauling the family trailer. He thinks women like things small, cute, and wrinkly and...um...it seems I can't disprove that right now.

2011 Sangerati PUG

Further proving that chicks seem to like small and cute things is this little white Rabbit Cabriolet built by A(E. Ahh, White Rabbit, what a trippy song. "One pill makes you larger, one pill makes you small. And the one that mother gave you don't do anything at all. Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall." Dude, like my hand is soooo huge, man! Whoooah!

One's Perspective

Brazil just got a little cooler. Legogil has a wife and she wanted her automotive maestro to build her a 55 Ford Ranch Wagon complete with an icy cool tri-color motif. We've learned to expect neat surprises from Gil, like the chrome bumpers and custom grille. I've always had a soft spot for the Ford Ranch Wagon and Gil's '55 proudly joins the ranks of Nathan's '57 and my '59.

1955 Ford Ranch Wagon (grill tuning)

In Shunik's world, cars of the future have retro bubble domes and are about as aerodynamic as a low-income housing project. Looking like a cross between a lunar lander and a pop-o-matic is this Eloyan Motors E_C-6. The only thing nixing this from our automotive group is its tiny, tiny wheels made of gears. But he did it in honor of his best friend Ellie so for that we have to say...daw, how cute! Hope she liked it, Shunik.

Eloyan Motors E_C-6

Christophbrill gets in touch with his feminine side and delivers something I hoped to see in this challenge...a vehicle with really girly colors. Pricilla Pitstop is looking truly pretty in her pink and yellow Compactor Pussycat complete with a darling little pink parasol. The colors may say pretty pink priss but the balloony tires and crushed cars screams of macho aggression!

Priscilla Pitstop with the Compactor Pussycat

Another pretty car is this sleek and futuristic Ice9 built by Mahjqa. True to his usual Mahjqa style, this vehicle is a working marvel of engineering and can be seen in a vid zipping across the floor and around obstacles at breakneck speeds. This vehicle, and others like it, can also be seen speeding across the ice in another vid. I've grown to love his humor...scaring the poor little duck on the ice pond was funny and he sometimes humorously shows us that not every take is a perfect as can be.

Ice9

Peteris Sprogis knows the way to a woman's heart is with...some more hearts. He tells us Mr. Valentine has delivered newly made heart-shaped sculptures for all the ladies of Lego City as gifts for Valentine's Day. Awwww isn't that sweet? Just be careful. A passionate love like this can sometimes end in a broken heart, a stained mattress and a huge Visa bill!

sculpture delivery

Speaking of love ending badly, this one ends with two chicks stealing a gun, blowing up a truck, running from the law and driving themselves off a cliff to their untimely doom. Here Matthew Maulfair has built the famous '56 Thunderbird convertible driven by none other than Thelma and Louise. They're a couple of tough broads as evidenced by their cut off sleeves and butch haircuts. I think they were on the women's softball team or something.

Thelma and Louise

Raphy proves that love can go badly right from the get go with this badass Misterzumbi style rat rod named Jane Eyre. Slammed to the ground, nearly 19 feet long and with towering flames lighting up the night sky...this girl ain't pretty! In fact, she could be one of those chicks you'd think to be the badass girl of your dreams only to turn out to be a 6ft. Filipino dude. I'm just sayin'...be careful out there, gentlemen.

Detail

It's a safe bet that our admin Tim Inman spent Valentine's Day alone with this rolling stereotype...the '84 Dodge Caravan. This grocery getter is factory equipped with not to be missed humorous details like faux wood paneling, baby seat, jelly stain on the carpet, teddy bear and an uninspired 2.2L 4 cylinder engine. And the icing on this dismal, fat inducing cake is the severed gas hose sticking out of the fueling port. This vehicle just screams...I've given up my dreams of modeling school to schlepp the kids to soccer practice while in my gravy stained sweatpants!

1984 Dodge Caravan

We can't help but love the women in our lives, but some are prone to mood swings and can get cranky occasionally. Sometimes they even set themselves on fire and murder a bunch of dudes like Christine here, built by Dohoon Kim. This downright dastardly girl is one of the most famous cars in the world and Dohoon does a great job of replicating her shape. When that Victorian dude penned "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" he was surely talking about this '58 Plymouth Fury.

1958 Plymouth Fury "Christine"

Just like Christine, this air cooled rear engine '65 Corvair Corsa built by Lino Martins has been dubbed "Unsafe At Any Speed". But there was no fury at all while building this underdog labor of love, in dark blue, with rally stripes and white interior, as specified by my girlfriend, Lorraine. Here we see Lego Lorraine, complete with a grey streak and built accurately taller than Lego Lino. Thats ok, I'm secure in my short-ness. Even Lorraine was surprised at how much these figs really look like us.

'65 Corvair Corsa...Unsafe At Any Speed!

GoRiLLaWeR squeezes out a sweet version of the famous Herbie The Love Bug. His write up doesn't say much, so it's a little unclear as to how this build pertains to this month's challenge other than chicks just dig Herbie's cute little form...and most recently he was driven by the drunk and disorderly Lindsay Lohan in Herbie: Fully Loaded. Incidentally Miss Lohan was also fully loaded while making the film. See what I did there? Ah, Lindsey...just 24 and already has and old, gravelly smoker's voice!

herbie

Jason H tells us he doesn't have a little sister, but if he did, she'd be sure to coo with delight over this cute little 50's era pedal car. He reminds us that sometimes the important ladies in our lives can be of the little variety. As a result I have no jokes about Lindsay's gravelly cigar voice or Britney Spears' head shaving, no panty wearing insane tirade. So just enjoy the cuteness!

1950s Pedal Car: Front 3/4 View

Also cute but in a grown up, sexy way is this sleek car named Velvet Von Black as built by new LUGNutter Captain Spaulding. The name came from a character played by the sultry Rosario Dawson. And Rosario, honey...if you're reading this (and surely you're not!) I loved you in Death Proof. I'm down with the swirl, if you know what I mean. Just a little chocolate and vanilla love all over my tiny basement apartment. Think about it, baby. Call me, ok?

Velvet von Black 02

And while I ponder getting my first celebrity restraining order, lets get a big steamy gawk at jmaokoen's little 751 Formula One racer. He tells us that Lella Lombardi drove to 6th in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix, making her the only woman in history to score points in Formula One. Wait...really? 6th place is the best a girl can do? Didn't Danica Patrick or somebody blow that out of the water by now?

Lella Lombardi's March 751

Speaking of big and steamy, Bad Furday very accurately portrays Mary Anne the happy steam shovel from the story book Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. One thing I like about writing these round ups is I get to learn new things from our LUGNuts. I didn't know anything about the book before but now I'm intrigued. Its about changing times and one man's enduring love for his steam shovel. I can relate...I once loved a cement mixer.

Mike Mulligan's steam shovel, Mary Anne

Firas Abu-Jaber will have to spray off all the adoring women with a hose once they get a look at him and his sleek yellow Pagoni Zonda. Meaning "a pass in the Andes mountains", Zonda is an exotic girl's name and an equally exotic car. Speaking of beautiful exotic women with their exotic names, I'm certain Firas' girl Ruru is quite proud of her car building slab of man. Heh heh!

Pagani Zonda

If you're anything like me, you've stayed up all night wondering whether it would be better to have a pencil sharpener in your nose or a ketchup dispenser in your bellybutton. If you're anything like me, you may have also come to the sound conclusion that the answer to this problem is unequivocally this Superbee Chibi Redux built by Professor Dumbledore...er, I mean Ley Ward. This tricky studs down creation was encouraged by Ley's wife, which means she must be pretty cool.

SuperbeeChibiRedux1

Coming in past the due date just like spoiled milk (Booyeah, I got to use that joke again!) is this 2011 Ford Territory Titanium Diesel CUV built by Peter Blackert. Being an Aussie engineer for Ford, Peter has had a hand in engineering this car in real life. Now his wife wants one and he's all like...pfffft, we don't need 7 seats and we ain't schlepping anyone else's kids around, thank you very much! Maybe Peter's Mrs has other plans for the little family. Just sayin' is all.

New Ford Territory 2011

When the wife wants seven seats and cup holders for all of them, sometimes the best thing to do is to just make your second entry the much smaller and sportier Porsche 911 (996). Named Sally Carrera, this little baby blue number was one of the female characters in the Pixar animated film Cars. Its just the perfect car for Daddy and maybe one of the kids to ride off into the sunset in, leaving the seven seats and all the cup holders behind.

Porsche 911 (996) - Sally Carrera

Remember that paid commission Dylan Denton was taunting us all with a few months back? Well, it turns out it was a replica of an awesome bumper-less custom 1970 Volkswagen Squareback beauty dubbed Ramona. This was Dylan's first ever commission and was requested by a friend. Young Dylan is starting off his Lego career right and now we can all say we knew him way back when he wasn't building Lego for the fame, the cash, and the groupies. Isn't that why we all build?

1970 Volkswagen 1600 Squareback "Ramona"

And finally, if its white and curvy it must be another Rolic creation. This time our Latvian lover of ladies (overuse of alliteration?) has accurately produced the Audi TT for his wife...who totally denies this being her favorite car. But this was her first choice and every time they play Need For Speed, this is her car of choice. C'mon, Rolic's honey, you can admit you're tickled pink for the Audi TT...and so are we! And isn't this really why we build...to impress each other and especially to impress women?

Audi TT

Whatever your reasons for building, we've got another challenge in the making called Snowed In...all about rough and tumble vehicles made to handle the snow and ice. We're talking snowplows, ice racers, snowmobiles, arctic explorers...the whole icy works! Early on, we've found out that some LUGNutters have been buried in three feet of the frigid stuff nearly every day since November while others have never seen even a solitary snowflake. Still, the show must go on, so stick around for next round up to see how we all do. Oh, and I have a solution for handling the snow and ice. Start off with your favorite mug, then add 1 oz of Amaretto, 1 oz of Orange Liqueur, 1 oz of Irish Cream, 1 oz of Hazelnut Liqueur and 1/4 oz of Cinnamon Schnapps. Fill the rest of the mug with fresh brewed hot black coffee and top with whipped cream. Its called Black Gold Coffee. Sip slowly by the fire while you watch your neighbor across the street shovel his driveway. You'll thank me later.